Salt Level Dropped Quickly

[kmonroe]

Hi,

I have a Hayward Swimpure Plus. The instructions said to add salt and then run the system for 24 hours, with chlorine percentage set to 0, then measure salt level. I did that and got a reading of 3500ppm. Then I turned the chlorine dial to 50%, per the instructions, and in about 30 minutes the chlorine level was at 2000ppm. Do I need to add more salt? Which reading do I go by, and does generating chlorine cause the salt level to read lower?

Much thanks for any help.

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP!

Your salt level didn't change that rapidly. You have an issue with your indication.

 

[JasonLion]

The Hayward SWG displays an average reading over the last 24 hours. If you added salt in the last 36 hours, especially if you didn't have the pump running for 24 hours after adding salt, the reading can vary quite a bit from actual. I would give it another 12 to 24 hours and see if it settles down.

 

[kmonroe]

I had reset the system and then run the filter for 24 hours. That is when it gave the 3500ppm reading. The Hayward has an option for an "instant" salt level reading, so I did that and that's when it gave me the 2000ppm reading. Is it safer/more accurate to check the salt level with test strips or a test kit rather than rely on the control panel?

 

[JasonLion]

In most cases the panel reading is more reliable, especially since it is what the SWG thinks about the level that matters, rather than the actual level. However, they can be broken or setup wrong sometimes, resulting in wildly wrong readings, and a test result is a good way to verify that.

Double check that the unit is setup for the same model of cell as the one you have installed. Getting that wrong can produce strange salt readings, and they occasionally lose their setup.